Protesters in Venice demonstrate against mass tourism and huge cruise ships

Protesters gathered along Venice’s picturesque waterfront to demonstrate against mass tourism and huge cruise ships in Italy‘s floating city.

The demonstration – which saw members of the campaign group Comitato No Grandi Navi gather at the Zattere waterfront – came the same day as one of Venice’s main attractions reopened its doors to tourists after the coronavirus crisis.

Covid-19 killed more than 34,000 in Italy and caused the country’s tourism sector to effectively shut down to slow the spread. 

Demonstrators formed a ‘human chain’ along one of Venice’s most-popular promenades to highlight issues brought about by large cruise ships.

Protesters gathered along Venice’s picturesque waterfront to demonstrate against mass tourism in Italy’s floating city

The demonstrations – which saw members of the campaign group Comitato No Grandi Navi gather at the Zattere waterfront (pictured) – came the same day as one of Venice’s main attractions reopened its doors to tourists after the coronavirus crisis

A post on their website ahead of the demonstration said the group wants Venice to ‘start again in a new way’ once lockdown is lifted.

They also want to keep large ships outside Venice’s lagoon and encourage permanent residents over tourism.

The city sat largely empty for three months during lockdown with scenes of empty squares and alleys and gondoliers stranded on dry land.

Demonstrators formed a ‘human chain’ along one of Venice’s most-popular promenades to highlight issues brought about by large cruise ships

A post on their website ahead of the demonstration said the group wants Venice to ‘start again in a new way’ once lockdown is lifted

Protesters (pictured) also want to keep large ships outside Venice’s lagoon and encourage permanent residents over tourism

The city sat largely empty for three months during lockdown with scenes of empty squares and alleys and gondoliers stranded on dry land. Pictured: Protesters today

Members of the campaign group Comitato No Grandi Navi gathered to protest today

Protesters commandeered boats to highlight the detrimental impact of large cruise ships and mass tourism

But tourists today flocked back to the city for the reopening of the Doge’s Palace.

Hundreds of Italians and foreigners lined up for more than 300 metres in Saint Mark’s Square, in front of the Ducal Palace.

A local news agency said a thousand internet bookings had been recorded for the reopening day.

‘There were people queuing at 8:00 am this morning and, to be honest, it’s just what we were hoping for,’ Maria Cristina Gribaudi, president of the Venice Civic Museums Foundation, said.

‘It’s a very strong emotion, like the first day of school,’ she explained.

Inside the palace, masks are compulsory, numerous signs encourage people to ‘keep their distance’ and all the rooms are controlled to avoid overcrowding.

Tourists today flocked back to the city for the reopening of the Doge’s Palace (pictured) 

After months without tourists Saturday marked a clear change, with Venice bustling much as it would do on any ordinary spring weekend.

Souvenir shops have reappeared in Saint Mark’s Square and almost all of the shops and restaurants – including the historic Cafe Florian – have reopened.

Around the Rialto Canal, visitors pushed their way through the tight alleys, and the famous gondolas and vaporetti, the city’s water buses, were again loaded with passengers and going about their business on the canals.

Inside the palace (pictured), masks are compulsory, numerous signs encourage people to ‘keep their distance’ and all the rooms are controlled to avoid overcrowding

‘If the most spoken language is Italian, there are many Germans and, surprisingly, French,’ Ansa reported.

‘We hope to have slow tourism in the future,’ said Gabriella Belli, director of the Foundation for the civic museums of Venice.

‘This does not mean less tourism, it means better organised tourism.’

The COVID-19 epidemic has killed more than 34,000 in Italy but as the number of new cases steadily falls so the country continues the process of deconfinement which began last month.

The country’s many monuments, famous buildings, museums and emblematic places have almost all reopened, including St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the site of Pompeii, the leaning Tower of Pisa, and the cathedrals of Florence and Milan.

In a bid to retrieve the summer tourist season, Italy reopened its borders on June 3.